We can't always be Heroes
by Shinobi Saru Corp
Summary: Hiro decides it would be amusing to feed Mochi some toffee, but regrets it. After aunt Cass' punishment, Hiro trudges back to his room and remembers something important. Today was Tadashi's birthday.


Written by Tora

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 in anyway, all rights belong to Disney sent from heaven above.

Rated: K+

* * *

"Unbelievable…" Hiro frowned.

He normally didn't frown, in fact he rarely frowned. His usual toothy grin was now replaced with tightly pressed lips and hardworking eyebrows.

How was he going to explain this to his aunt…?

Baymax stood next to Hiro, staring down at the thing that was making Hiro frown.

"Stupid cat…" Hiro mumbled under his breath.

Baymax said nothing.

There was more silence and another 'stupid cat'.

Finally, Baymax said, "I was not aware that hairball was a part of the daily diet of a cat."

"Gross…" Hiro replied back.

"Sick?" Baymax offered.

Hiro nodded. Very very very sick. "Any idea how to do CPR on a cat, Baymax?"

"It is not in my programing," Baymax said truthfully. "I am programed to help humans, not cats."

Hiro threw both hands into his thick hair and said in one breath, "Aunt Cass is going to kill me! She's going to eat all the food in the café, force me to do dishes for weeks and weeks, then she going to have me bake more food just so she can eat it, and then she's going to kill me, never let me go back to college, and then kill me again, and then dance on my grave! Maybe she won't even give me a burial, Baymax!"

"You are breathing hard," Baymax said, turning to Hiro. "If you keep breathing hard—"

"I bet she won't even tell my friends that she killed me! Heck, she might kill them too! Help me, Baymax! You're programed to help!"

"I am only programed to—"

Hiro would have none of it and went on, "Mochi is choking on a hairball and aunt Cass isn't here to help!"

Hiro might be hero, and had saved people, and be a genius, but when it came down to a cat choking on a hairball, he was helpless. As helpless as the cat choking.

Hiro went down on hands and knees to the fat cat. Mochi kept making loud choking sounds, his mouth wide open as if he'd cough the ball up any moment.

"I sense that you are suffering from anxiety," Baymax chided softly.

"No kidding!" Hiro breathed. "Why me? Why me?"

"Toffee is not for cats," Baymax scolded.

It had gone like this. Hiro had been eating some salt water toffee, when he thought it might be amusing to feed Mochi a piece. After Mochi chewed on it for several minutes, he swallowed it. Beforehand, Mochi had been grooming himself and let us just say that hairball and toffee don't mix well.

"I-I just need to stick my fingers down there. It's only in his throat… it's not like I'll be sticking my hand down his stomach or anything," Hiro giggled giddily.

Before sticking his fingers down the cat's throat, he wiggled his index and thumb, as if he were casting a good luck spell over them.

Hiro breathed a silent prayer and reached into the cat's throat.

Mochi's sharp teeth scratched Hiro's fingers as his fingers descended into his throat. The fat cat did not shut his mouth, but seemed to realize the seriousness of the matter. Especially since it was his life at risk.

Hiro bit his lips and his eye twitched as his fingers slid down the warm slimy throat. "Eewww…!" Hiro squealed like a little girl as his fingers came in contact with something incredibly slimy.

Hiro couldn't grab hold of the hairball and kept trying to fish at it. Mochi began to cough. Another girly 'ew' came from Hiro's throat.

"You are showing signs of distress."

"Ahhhh…" Hiro moaned as his finger finally grasped the hairball. A little too fast, Hiro ripped his hands out of Mochi's throat, showing the hairball mixed with toffee. The cat yowled and jumped up.

"SUCCESS!" Hiro shouted joyfully.

Baymax raised his hands and began to slowly clap. "Did getting the hairball lower your anxiety?"

Hiro was about to say something, but he heard aunt Cass call. "I'm home, Hirooo!"

"Alright!" Hiro said jumping up. "Fist bump!"

He held his fist out to Baymax, and Baymax raised his fist up to greet Hiro's. "Bah-a-la-la la," Baymax and Hiro said together. Hiro had given up the explosion to Baymax's own version.

Mochi dashed out of Hiro's room and Hiro followed the cat, still holding the disgusting ball.

Tramping down the stairs, Hiro shouted, "I saved Mochi's life!" A smug grin crossed Hiro's face.

Aunt Cass was already in the kitchen, unloading some groceries. "You did what?" Aunt Cass asked curiously.

"I fed Mochi a piece of toffee and then he got a hairball and then—" Hiro was cut off by his aunt. "Wait, you did _what_, Hiro?!"

Hiro clapped a hand over his mouth and murmured an 'oopssss'.

"Oops is right," Aunt Cass said, scowling down at Hiro.

"I just—thought… it… might be kinda funny—I mean interesting to watch Mochi tackle a piece of t-toffee, that's all…" Hiro stuttered. He gave nervous grin at his aunt.

Baymax, slower to the game, came downstairs and said, "Toffee is not for cats."

Hiro said eagerly, "I did save his life! Right, Baymax?"

"Correct. But toffee is not for cats," Baymax insisted.

Aunt Cass frowned hard and said, "Hiro…" in a very reproachful way. "What have I told you about feeding weird things to Mochi?"

Hiro looked away from his aunt's hard stare and said slowly, "Wellll… I remember you saying something about not giving Mochi gum, but I don't recall you saying anything about toffee…"

"Hiro," Aunt Cass said quietly under her breath. "Go wash the dishes. The café is about to open up again. After washing dishes, help me with the costumers. Put the groceries up too. And throw away that disgusting hairball, this minute."

Aunt Cass left the unattended groceries and went to the front of the café.

"Unbelievable," Hiro awed in exaggeration. "I save her cat and she repays me with work. _Unbelievable_."

"You did feed toffee to the cat," Baymax reminded. He patted Hiro's fuffy hair and said, "Would you like a hug?"

Hiro dodged Baymax's hug and said, "No I need to get started before aunt Cass gets even madder." He uttered another unbelievable as he began to unload the groceries. After he threw away the hairball, of course.

"Your aunt Cass is suffering from stress. Would she like a hug?" Baymax asked curiously.

"Why don't you ask her yourself," Hiro grumbled.

Baymax began to walk away. "Very well."

Once Hiro was finished putting up the groceries, he oozed over to the sink and began to scrub the dirty dishes. "Why are there so many?" Hiro frowned.

His hands were dry and the warm water was starting to crack his skin.

Aunt Cass walked in with more dirty dishes. "Because I run a café." She set the dishes down into the sink, making Hiro groan.

"Stop whining or you can do even more when you're done with the costumers," Aunt Cass threatened.

"No no," Hiro rushed. "That's fine!"

Aunt Cass pushed Hiro aside and laid a small notebook and pen down. "The notebook is right here. Now get going, the costumers are already here. I need to start cooking and I can't have you around while I'm trying to cook."

Hiro grabbed the notebook and pen and dashed off.

Serving wasn't Hiro's favourite thing to do. But it beat doing the dishes. By a lot. However, he was soon tired out by filling cups, running back and forth, serving food, cleaning up, and taking orders. He wondered how his aunt could do this all day!

After the café closed, Hiro let out a long sigh, as he trudged upstairs.

"Hiro, do you want anything to eat?" his aunt called out.

Hiro barely had the strength to reply. "Not now…" he mustered up.

Baymax, who was in his room, said, "Eating will boost up your energy. Would you like to see the food pyramid?"

"No thanks," Hiro mumbled, crashing into his chair. It felt so good… "Chairrr… marry me…" he let out a contented sigh.

"Are you aware that a chair is an object?"

"Yes…"

"Then why would you want to marry an object?"

"Baymax…"

"It's just an expression?"

"Something like that," Hiro waved his hand around. He scooted up to his desk and pulled out a planner. "GoGo needs me to pick that up… meeting Wasabi at the local sushi that day… hmm… oh…"

His eyes landed on the monthly calendar.

Baymax walked up closer to Hiro. "Why so quiet?"

Hiro touched the calendar gently. "Today…" Hiro stopped.

"Today?"

"Is Tadashi's birthday…" Hiro finished softly. He rested his chin on his palm and gazed down on the calendar.

"Tadashi," Baymax echoed.

Unwanted memories flooded back into Hiro's head. The fire. The explosion. He remember the pain when the explosion hit. And he still had the pain of Tadashi's loss. That pain would never leave him. The pain that made his chest hurt. The pain that made him want to curl up and do nothing.

Hiro said to himself more than to Baymax, "Do you think I'd be a real hero if I saved... his life?"

Baymax was quiet, but then stated softly, "You can't always be a hero. You have to be human sometimes. That is why I am here."

Unwanted tears began to fill Hiro's eyes. He hastily rubbed his eyes.

"You are feeling strong emotions of sadness, would you like a hug?" Baymax offered.

Without hesitation or thought, Hiro stood up and belly-flopped into Baymax. "There there. It is alright to release your emotions. Crying often helps to release your emotions."

Hiro didn't want to cry, but he did. Just a little.

"There there," Baymax repeated, petting Hiro's fluffy hair. "It is alright to cry."

"I'm not crying, I'm not crying," Hiro insisted, pulling away from Baymax. His lip trembled a little, but he brushed away his hair and sniffed lightly. "I'm alright…"

Hiro blinked back tears.

Baymax questioned, "Are you?"

"Seriously, Baymax… why can't we save those we love?" Hiro sat down on the chair again and began to twiddle his thumbs.

"You tell me, I am just a robot programed to help people," Baymax said, looking down at Hiro. "Would you like a gummy bear?"

Hiro nodded, and Baymax handed him a bag of gummy bears, Hiro's favourite candy. Tackling the candy, Hiro pondered over his own words. He remembered what Baymax had said. "We can't always be heroes."

Baymax nodded and repeated back, "We can't always be heroes."


End file.
